Kylo Ren
Kylo Ren, also known by his real name Ben Solo, is the main antagonist of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, ''the first installment of the ''Star Wars sequel trilogy. He is the dark, powerful, and extremely obsessive leader of the Knights of Ren, as well as an agent of the First Order, which is the remnant faction of the Galactic Empire and is the apprentice of Supreme Leader Snoke. He is portrayed by Adam Driver. Background Born as Ben Solo, son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, he was sensitive to the force. His mother feared that Ben was too much like his grandfather Vader so she sent him to her brother Luke to train him and save him from the influence of the Dark side of the Force. All efforts of Ben's uncle were wasted when Supreme Leader Snoke corrupted him to the Dark side. Ben adopted new name Kylo Ren by becoming a member of the Knights of Ren, where he now began to hunt Luke down. Star Wars: Bloodline Reasons why Ben become the evil Kylo was not just due to Snoke's corruption, but also due to his parents' tumulous relationship given that Solo used to be a smuggler whom cannot stay in one place for too long and Leia's role as a political figure. Six years prior to events of The Force Awakens, Leia's political enemies exposed her parentage to the public, which is likely the reason how Ben learned that he was the grandson of Darth Vader. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Hunt for the Map to Skywalker Attack on Jakku Knowing that somewhere on the planet Jakku there is a map leading the way to Luke Skywalker, Kylo Ren arrives on the planet. His stormtroopers quickly round up all citizens of the nearby village, also capturing village elder Lor San Tekka, who gave the map to rebel pilot Poe Dameron before Kylo arrived. Dameron witnesses the chaos the troops of the First Order are causing and gives the map to his droid BB-8, telling him to get away as far as possible. Kylo interrogates San Tekka, who recognizes him as the son of Han Solo and tells him that he can not run away from the family he was born into. Kylo then slays the man with his lightsaber and orders Captain Phasma to kill all captured villagers before put the village off the map. While the stormtroopers carry out the gruesome task, one of them, Finn, does not participate in the slaughter. Dameron, witnessing the murder from a hiding spot, fires his blaster at Kylo but Kylo stops the laser blast mid air, freezing it. Kylo then uses the Force to overpower Poe and has the stormtroopers take him captive. After Poe is brought onboard, Ren leaves the scene and frees the frozen laser blast. Interrogating Poe Dameron Onboard a Star Destroyer, Kylo interrogates Poe and questions the location of the map. His unwillingness to ccoperate resorts Kylo to torture him using the Force to the point where he gives in and confesses the location. He sends his troops back to Jakku to find the droid, who has already met Rey. Poe is then saved by Finn, who has chosen to desert the First Order and escapes with him to Jakku. After being told about Poe's escape, Kylo escalates and furiously demolishes the spaceship's interior with his lightsaber. Meeting with Supreme Leader Snoke In a meeting with his master, Snoke tells Kylo that he soon will have to face his father. Kylo replies that by Snoke's training he is prepared, but Snoke nontheless calls it the hardest test Kylo has to face. Battle of Takodana Later, after Finn and Rey have met Han Solo and Chewbacca, Kylo tracks the signal of the Millenium Falcon to Takodana. While his soldiers attack the building Finn and Han are in, Kylo tracks down Rey, who has run off into the forest after having found out that she can use the force. Upon finding her, Kylo demands to know the location of BB-8, but after realising that Rey has already seen the map, takes her captive as he plans to get the information out of her. Kylo tells his troops to retreat, as he now deems BB-8 unimportant. Han and Finn watch the retreat of the stormtroopers as well as Kylo carrying Rey into his ship and flying of with her. Opon seeing Kylo, Han immediately recognizes his son Ben, which he later tells Leia about. Battle of Starkiller Base Interrogating Rey Kylo brings Rey to Starkiller Base, where he plans to get the information of the map out of her. She refuses to talk to a man hidden behind a mask, so he takes of the mask, revealing how young he really is. When she refuses to tell him Luke's location, Kylo tries to break her spirit by using the force but is shocked when Rey blocks him out of her head, instead reading his mind and revealing his greatest fear: that he will never be as powerful as Darth Vader. Disturbed by the fact Rey is actually strong with the Force, Kylo leaves the room, leaving Rey behind with a stormtrooper guard. However, Rey uses a force trick on the stormtrooper and forces him to free her. When Ren returns to see Rey's chair empty he falls into a rage fit and destroys the room's interior with his lightsaber while calling the guards, prompting two nearby stormtroopers to leave the scene before Kylo can harm them in his rage. Hunting Han Solo After General Hux's speech Kylo witnesses the destruction of the Republic's capital planet as well as the republic fleet by the Starkiller Base. When the rebels witness the power of Starkiller Base, they plan to destroy the facility before the First Order can destroy them with it. Han Solo, Chewbacca and Finn plan to infiltrate the base to turn off its shield generators as well as to save Rey. Before they leave, Leia tells Han to try to get their son back, which he promises. At the base, they deactivate the generators and rig parts of the facility with explosives. Kylo, who is present on the base, senses the presence of his father and tries to find him. The Confrontation While searching for Han, Han instead sees Kylo who is just crossing a bridge. He calls him by his birth name, Ben, and approaches his son. Although Kylo states that Ben Solo was weak and therefore eliminated by Kylo Ren, Han tells him that Snoke corrupted him and that he still has the choice to change. He also tells his son to come home, as his mother is missing him. This touches Kylo, who admits that he is torn. Knowing that he would feel drawn to his family as long as his father is there, Kylo begs Han to help him into executing the choice he made. Han promises and Ren slowly hands him his lightsaber, intending for his father to kill him to end the pain. However that was a ruse as Kylo activates his lightsaber and thrusts it into his father's chest, thanking him for making this choice possible, as without his father Ren's ties to the light side are severed. Han's deceased body falls into the abyss. Chewbacca, furious about his friend's death, activates the explosives and shoots at Ren, hitting him and dropping him to the ground. Showdown with Rey and Finn When Kylo sees Rey and Finn leave the building and pursues them into the frozen woods outside of Starkiller Base. Rey tries to attack Kylo but he uses the force to lunge her far off into the trees, knocking her out. While Kylo screams at Finn that he is a traitor, Finn calls Kylo a monster and activates Luke's lightsaber. The two engage in a furious swordfight in which Kylo gets the upper hand by ramming the crossguard light blade of his sword into Finn's shoulder. Though both of them are hit and injured multiple times, Kylo in the end defeats Finn and slices his back, causing Finn to drop the lightsaber and fall to the ground. Kylo then tries to use the force to get his grandfathers lightsaber but is shocked when the lightsaber flies right past him into the hands of Rey, who now attacks Kylo to avenge Han and Finn. As a climactic fight progresses, the rebels manage to destroy Starkiller base, which results in a massive earthquake which creates deep rifts in the surrounding landscape. One of these chasms opens right behind the fighters and Kylo drives Rey towards the edge of said rift. While pressing his lightsaber against hers, Kylo offers Rey to train her. This causes Rey to realise her potential and with the force she drives Kylo back, hitting him multiple times with her lightsaber and eventually slicing him across the face. Kylo drops to the ground but before Rey can do more, a rift opens right between them, seperating Rey from Ren. Chewbacca then steers the Milennium Falcon towards Rey and she enters the airship with Finn's comatose body, leaving Ren behind on the imploding planet. Shortly before the ultimate destruction of the planet, Supreme Leader Snoke gives General Hux the order to evacuate Starkiller Base and to bring Kylo before him, so that Kylo's training can be completed. Though Kylo was only last seen when a rift separate him from Rey, he failed to prevent the return of Jedi with Rey finally found Luke and tries to convince the last surviving Jedi Master in the galaxy to rebuild Jedi Order once more with her aid. Star Wars Episode VIII Kylo will appear in Star Wars Episode VIII. Star Wars Episode IX: Kylo will appear in Star Wars Episode IX. Personality In his youth, as Ben Solo, Ben was unaware of his true heritage, but suffered from of abandonment due to the struggles his parents had with their lives. he admired the power of his maternal grandfather Anakin Skywalker, but particularly in his Darth Vader incarnation. Because of this, Ben struggled with the Dark side of the Force due to this obsession. As Kylo Ren, Kylo is ruthless, brutal and confident, but appears to carry at least some guilt and remorse for his actions. Like Anakin, he is short-tempered, hot-headed, and is torn by internal conflict. However, unlike his maternal grandfather, Kylo is far less able to control his temper and emotions, as well as the fact that he is far less calm, level-headed, patient and far more prone to bouts of rage. To establish his rejection of his past life, Ren serves the First Order with great passion towards it's leader and his master Snoke. He carries on his attachment to Vader into adulthood, where he desires to uphold the Sith Lord's legacy by destroying all the Jedi. Kylo is not without fear; he is afraid that he will never become as powerful as his maternal grandfather, and fears what the Light side's hold has on him. Unlike Vader, Ren finds conflict with these traits, especially towards the idea of family. Being seen as a focal point between the heritage of both the light and the dark also furthered his inner conflict. Despite this, Ren chooses to believe that Vader's sentimentality was the weakness that led to the fall of the Empire. Feeling this care is what holds him back, Ren believes that to be greater Vader - to embrace the Dark side - is to finally abandon the Light side. Physical Description Kylois a tall, dark and gangly young man. He has broad proportions, including unusually long and thin arms and legs, as well as a large nose and full lips. His hair is black, greasy and approximately chin-length. While fully clothed, Kylo wears a metal mask the envelopes his whole head, which features ornamental patterns that draw contours around his visor. His mask is designed by him to take inspiration from the late Darth Vader, who Kylo has deep knowledge of. His clothing is black-themed and tailored around his lean physique. The clothing is predominantly made from a soft, flexible material, though his belt and boots are leather-based. The most distinct physical element of Kylo, however, is his makeshift lightsaber. Its hilt is haphazardly constructed, with it being uneven and with exposed wiring. Its blade is the traditional Dark Side red, though it is shown to be unstable and does not retain the traditional uniformity of a professionally-manufactured lightsaber. Two small crossguard light blades are deployed with ignition of the weapon, giving the lightsaber resemblance to a medieval long sword. Powers and Abilities Powers *'The Force:' As the grandson of the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Kylo has a very strong connection to the Force. Despite this, for unknown reasons, Kylo is not quite as powerful as his maternal grandfather, he is still an exceptionally powerful light and dark side Force-user. Kylo's Force potential is rivaled only by Rey, and surpassed only by his maternal uncle, Luke Skywalker. **'Telekinesis:' Kylo is extremely proficient in telekinesis, capable of freezing and influencing the movement of a person or even stop a blaster bolt and keep it suspended until he leaves. **'Force push:' Kylo utilizes Force push to send his opponents flying through the air, causing them serious injury or temporarily incapacitating them/knocked them unconscious. **'Force pull:' Kylo utilizes Force pull to pull his opponents or objects towards him, enough that he can hold people up with one hand while still pulling them with the Force. **'Mind probe:' Kylo utilizes mind probe to sift through the thoughts of a sentient being, for the purpose of interrogation or torture. **'Force sense:' Kylo utilizes Force sense to sense another sentient being's emotions, the future, ripples in the Force caused by momentous or traumatic events, impending danger and the presence of the Light side. Abilities *'Lightsaber Skills:' Kylo is highly skilled in lightsaber combat and a highly gifted duelist. He is one of the greatest lightsaber duelists currently alive; it was his exceptional skill with a lightsaber that ultimately greatly delayed the art of lightsaber combat from rising back to prominence with his massacre of most of the new, fledgling Jedi Order. His destruction of this new generation of Jedi Knights also earned him the nickname of "Jedi Killer" among the members of the First Order. Despite this, however, he was defeated by Rey in a duel, despite being far more skilled and experienced in lightsaber combat then the latter. However, it should be noted that Kylo had already been wounded by Chewbacca and Finn, and thus was not at the peak of his strength. In addition, Rey's new-found abilities allowed her to meditate on the Force to gain enough strength to physically overpower him. **'Form V:' Kylo is highly skilled in Shien/Djem So. *'Expert Engineer:' Kylo is amazingly skilled in engineering. He was able to successfully construct his own red-bladed crossguard lightsaber in his first try. *'High-Level Intellect/Expert Tactician/Leader:' Kylo is amazingly intelligent. As a Field Commander of the First Order, Kylo is a highly skilled tactician and a very capable leader. *'Indomitable Will/High Tolerance For Pain/Expert Survivalist:' Kylo has an indomitable will and a high tolerance for pain; as he was able to continue fighting despite being shot in the side by Chewbacca, and slashed on the shoulder by Finn. In his battle with Finn, he was also seen beating the wound inflicted by Chewbacca, using his pain and anguish to fuel his connection to the Dark side of the Force. Furthermore, while armored Stormtroopers were violently blasted through the air and killed instantly by the bowcaster's explosive blast, Kylo has no armor, but only doubled over in pain when shot. Weapons and Equipment Lightsaber Kylo's valued weapon and possession is his red-bladed lightsaber. *'Crossguard lightsaber:' Kylo had built a red-bladed crossguard lightsaber. Kylo's lightsaber was crudely built off an ancient design dating back to an event known as the Scourge of Malachor and operated using a cracked Kyber crystal. It thus has an unstable blade, necessitating the use of exhaust ports to channel and vent the weapon's excess energy so that it would not overload. The excess energy served as the lightsaber's quillons (crossguards). The weapon's blades also crackled and arced like electricity and funneled like fire, giving the weapon a ragged, menacing appearance and a deep, growling hum. It is unknown if this is the same lightsaber he possessed when he was still a member of the New Jedi Order. Relationships Family Han Solo Kylo apparently had a poor relationship with his father, calling him a disappointment. He rejected Han and brutally murdered him, though he deeply regretted this almost immediately after it occurred, showing that he did at least had some love for him prior to turning to the dark side. Leia Organa Not much is known about his relationship with his mother; however, Ben likely had a loving relationship with Leia. Prior to his fall to the dark side - when he started to struggle with the Dark side of the Force - Leia was terrified that he might end up like his maternal grandfather Anakin Skywalker and so - sent him to study under the tutelage of her brother, Luke. Unfortunately, Luke was not able to prevent Ben from falling to the Dark side of the Force, as Snoke preyed on Ben's internal conflict. Ben, upon conversion to the Dark side, became known as Kylo Ren. Leia was heartbroken that her son had become evil and mourned his fate bitterly. Yet, despite all the atrocities that Kylo had committed over the years, Leia still believed that Ben could come back to the light and be redeemed. Luke Skywalker When Ben started to struggled with the Dark side of the Force, he was to sent to study under Luke's tutelage at the request of his mother, Leia, in the hope of preventing him from ending up like his maternal grandfather, Anakin Skywalker. Luke taught Ben of the ways of the Light side of the Force and lightsaber combat. Unfortunately, he was not able to prevent Ben from falling to Dark side of the Force, as Snoke preyed on Ben's internal conflict. Ben then became known as Kylo Ren, and aided by the Knights of Ren, he killed most of Luke's apprentices, this act greatly delayed his uncle's plan to restore the Jedi Order to it's former glory and left his uncle despondent, while Ren went on to terrorize the galaxy as a leader of the First Order. Luke was one of the few who managed to survive and escape the Jedi massacre. In the aftermath of the Jedi massacre, Luke was deeply grieved and racked with guilt, blaming himself for his students' deaths and Ben's turn to the dark side. Luke then mysteriously disappeared; as he embarked on a quest to seek out the First Jedi Temple. Kylo, under the orders of Snoke, is instructed to find and kill Luke. Snoke knows that as long as Luke is alive, a new generation of Jedi Knights can rise once again. Ben probably had a good relationship with his maternal uncle; prior to his fall to the dark side. Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader Anakin died before Ben was born. However, Ben come to greatly admire and revere his maternal grandfather's power, but, also came to fear that he may never be as powerful as the Chosen One. He admired and revered more of his maternal grandfather's dark aspects, than his light aspects, believing that his grandfather's love and sentimentality for his family were weaknesses. Like his maternal grandfather before him, Ben fell to the Dark side of the Force, becoming known as Kylo Ren. Kylo has seemingly become far worse then his grandfather; although Vader was brutal and ruthless, he did genuinely care about his family, as he never killed a member of his own family in cold blood, not even for power, ultimately leading to his redemption. Kylo on the other hand was willing to kill his father to keep from feeling such feelings as love and compassion from making him feel weak and pull him back to the Light side of the Force. Kylo became enraged when Finn and Rey respectively used his grandfather's lightsaber against him, as that weapon rightfully belongs to him. Friends and Allies Supreme Leader Snoke Snoke met Ben by unknown means, and was deeply interested in him due to his embodiment as a focal point of both light and darkness (which was unusual for a Knight of Ren or any Dark Side master to be attracted to). He eventually turned him to the dark side, and anointed him with the name of Kylo Ren. Ren still serves him loyally, believing that the Supreme Leader was wise and right to overthrow the New Republic. Ren is currently unaware that Snoke does not truly care about him, as he is only using Ren for his power. Enemies Rey Kylo and Rey have been enemies ever since Rey located and purchased BB-8. Kylo is very convinced of her power, believing even she does not know it. He very much longs to turn her to the dark side and train her, but this ultimately backfires for the time being. Rey's hatred of him increased after he killed Han Solo, and she tried to kill him with Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber, unaware that Kylo is in fact Anakin's grandson, and the weapon does rightfully belong to him. Finn Kylo and Finn have been enemies ever since he captured Rey and killed Han Solo, he became enraged when Finn used Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber, when he stated that weapon belongs to him, Finn mocks Kylo (unaware that he is in fact Anakin's grandson, and the lightsaber does rightfully belong to him) telling him to come and get it, the two engaged (as Finn was trying to avenge Han's death) in a lightsaber duel, although he was able to hold his own reasonably well for a relatively short period of time and even managed to lightly wound Kylo's right shoulder. Ultimately, however, Finn was defeated by Kylo, partly due to his lack of Force-sensitivity, and mainly because of the latter's superior experience and skills in lightsaber combat, as Kylo disarmed him of Anakin's lightsaber and dealt him a severe wound to his back. Gallery Artwork and Covers Star-Wars-artwork-Kylo-Ren.jpg|Kylo artwork. Kylo Ren.jpg|Concept Art of Kylo. Kylo-Ren-Star-Wars-The-Force-Awakens-04.jpg|Kylo's graphic promotional poster of the film alongside the new Stormtroopers. Kylo Ren !0.jpg|Kylo as he appears on the cover of Entertainment Weekly (August 21/28 #1377/1378). Kylo Ren !_3_render_by_aracnify.jpg Kylo Ren !_3_render_by_aracnify1.jpg Kylo Ren !_3_render_by_aracnify2.jpg Kylo Ren _1__render__by_aracnify.jpg The Force Awakens des0190.4k_PUB_STILL_PNT.1080.2.jpg|Kylo defeats Poee Dameron on Jakku. Kylo Ren's Breakdown 1.jpg|First display of Kylo's wrathful tendencies and breakdown upon hearing Rey, BB-8, and Finn's escape. Kylo Ren with his Knights of Ren.jpg|Kylo with his Knights of Ren after butchering most of the reformed Jedi Order members as seen in Rey's vision. Kylo-ren_fa163069.jpeg|Kylo hunting Rey. Kylo Ren angry stare.jpg|Kylo's angry stare. Star-Wars-THe-Force-AwakensKylo-Ren-thumb.jpg|Kylo outside the Starkiller Base. Kylo Ren's Breakdown 2.jpg|Kylo's Second Breakdown as he confront Finn and demanded Anakin's lightsaber. Kylo Ren injured and defeated by Rey.jpg|Kylo's defeat in first film. KyloRenDefeat.PNG|Kylo defeat. Ren and Rey separate Star wars.jpg|Kylo and Rey separated by a rift after his defeat. Videos Star Wars Episode VII - The Force Awakens Official Teaser Trailer 1 (2015) Star Wars Episode VII - The Force Awakens Official Teaser Trailer 2 (2015) - Star Wars Movie HD Star Wars The Force Awakens -Kylo Ren song Reception Both the character of Kylo Ren and Driver's performance have been positively received. Many complimented Ren's conflicted nature and depth, as well as his costume design, and noted there were many places the character could be taken in future installments. Terri Schwartz of IGN also called Driver's performance "spectacular", noting that "his performance adds great depth to a character who could have come off as one-dimensional, and the implications of his arc leave a viewer with plenty to think about after they leave the theater". Collin wrote, "To describe Kylo Ren as this film's Vader would be accurate in a sense ... But it would also be to undersell the deep ingenuity with which this astonishing character has been crafted by Abrams, Kasdan and Arndt, and also the wells of emotional tumult Driver invests in him." Comparing the character to the one-note Vader of the 1977 film, Leon calls Ren "a living battleground between darkness and light, making him a far more resonant and familiar portrayal of that struggle than we've ever seen in Star Wars ... makes him a far more interesting villain." Abrams told Entertainment Weekly, "it was a great joy to work with Adam Driver on this role, because he threw himself into it in a deep and remarkable way." Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter noted, "Ren is given a pronounced inferiority complex, a clever bad guy twist that could be taken to interesting places both in the writing and performance." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote, "The bald-faced attempt to clone Vader, one of the greatest badasses in film history, is clankingly obvious, but Driver, masked and unmasked, gives him hypnotic and haunting contours." Kyle Buchanan of Vulture.com was underwhelmed by the reveal of Driver under the mask. Leon, however, argued: But that face—that of a normal, vulnerable young man—is the most subversively terrifying thing about J. J. Abrams' reimagining of A New Hope. Rather than pure evil, Ren is something far more familiar: He is human. Just like the real-life young men with minds clouded by fear, hate, and anger who commit unspeakable acts in our world every day ... all the visual cues that leave the character open to criticisms of not being "evil" enough—are all signs of Ren's struggle between the Dark Side and the Light. Driver won a 2016 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal. Trivia * Kylo's mask shares similarities in design with Darth Vader's helmet and Darth Revan's mask and robe. * Kylo is inspired by Jacen Solo, the son of Han and Leia, and the twin brother of Jaina. Like Kylo, Jacen also fell to the Dark side sometime after receiving instruction by his uncle, Luke, leading to conflict with his family. * His name is based on another "Star Wars" villain, Kybo Ren. 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